The Kudos Awards – finalists announced and tickets on sale

The finalists for the 10th Annual Kudos, Hamilton’s Science Excellence Awards have been announced, and they include three in the Medical Science category sponsored by Waikato District Health Board.

Those three finalists are all from the University of Waikato and are: Associate Professor Nicola Starkey, Dr Charis Brown, and Professor Vic Arcus (see details below).

The aim of this award category is to recognise the scientist/medical scientist who has made a major contribution to medical research in the Waikato region. This award seeks to identify the individual or team who has made a significant impact at a national and international level.

As one of the Kudos Gold Sponsors, Waikato DHB wishes these and all the finalists the best for the award night, and congratulates The Kudos organisers for building a highly sort-after award and prestigious event over the past 10 years.

Chief executive Dr Nigel Murray said that one of imperatives in the new Waikato DHB Strategy is to make the organisation a centre of excellence in learning, teaching, research and innovation.

“I am especially encouraged by the work The Kudos does to show young people how fascinating, satisfying and exciting science can be as a subject at school and later as a career.

“Waikato scientists link closely with and contribute to international health science developments, but they also know better than anyone else what is needed at home, both now and in the future.”

The award event will be on Wednesday 19 October at the Claudelands Event Centre and hosted by radio and television host and comedian Jeremy Corbett. It is a formal seated dinner event that has become very popular with Hamilton’s science, business, education, entrepreneurial and public sector communities.

About The Kudos

The Kudos – Hamilton Science Excellence Awards is a celebration of Waikato scientists and their world leading research and innovation. The Waikato region in the central North Island of New Zealand is a hub of science activity, and boasts some of the nations’ leading innovation and scientific discoveries. Waikato scientists continue to lead in areas of Agriculture, Medical and Environmental research.

Waikato DHB Medical Science Award Finalists

Assoc Prof Nicola Starkey, University of Waikato

Nicola’s research focuses on two main areas: health and driver behaviour. Her health research is predominantly focused on traumatic brain injury (TBI), one of the leading causes of death, disability and long-term productivity world-wide. The other main area of research relates to driver behaviour as a member (and co-founder) of the Transport Research Group. Her main interest is in everyday driving and in particular ‘driving without awareness’; a phenomena familiar to almost everyone, arriving at destination having little recollection of the route you just drove. Her work is particularly interested in the mechanisms underlying thisphenomenon, particularly how we can safely drive a car, take the correct route, obey traffic signals and avoid other road users, without any conscious recollection of the journey.

Dr Charis Brown, University of Waikato

Charis is a Senior Research Fellow who leads and develops research in cancer and chronic disease and Pasifika health. She is the Principal Investigator working to improve outcomes for men with prostate cancer in New Zealand. Her research investigations and clinical trials into cancer within Pasifika sub groups is a first in the world.

Prof Vic Arcus, University of Waikato

Vic specialises in Molecular Biology and Evolution. This nomination focuses on research into Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, a disease that asymptomatically affects one-third of the world’s population and is one of the three deadly diseases, including Malaria and HIV. The disease can persist in a latent state for the life of it’s human host, or may reactivate after months to years, causing symptomatic tuberculosis disease. Currently this is treated with antibiotics, or the choice to vaccinate. Gaining a better understanding of the bacterial replication rates occurring during latency would help in the design of drugs to treat the disease.